Dental reflector and aspirating instrument



Nov. 25, 1958 F. KATZ 2,861,342

DENTAL REFLECTOR AND ASPIRATING INSTRUMENT Filed July 5, 1957 FRED A4972 United States Patent DENTAL REFLECTOR AND ASPIRATING INSTRUMENT Fred Katz, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Application July 5, 1957, Serial No. 670,302

Claims. or. 32-69) This invention relates to a reflecting and aspirating instrument for use by dentists while doing dental work on patients.

An object of the present invention is the provision of instruments which act as aspirators while they are used as reflectors toenable dentists to see teeth while they 'are working on them.

Another object is the provision of a dental instrument ofthe nature described which is of very simple construction and does not take up any more room in a patients mouth than an ordinary dental mirror now takes.

- Another object is the provision of a dental instrument for removing moisture from a patients mouth right at the point where the dentist is working without obstructing or interfering with the work in any way. a

It is often desirable to remove moisture from around a tooth in a patients mouth upon which a dentist is working. Prior to the present invention, this was very inconvenient and usually required the help of a second person. Thisis-parti'cularly true when a rubber dam is being used.

These'dams are inserted in the patients mouth with oneor more teeth projecting through it. The high speed drilling now in common use usually makes it necessary to spray water over thetooth being drilled. This water tends to accumulate on the dam since part of the latter becomes shaped in apocket-like manner behind the tooth on which-the work is taking place. The accumulation of water or the spraying moisture interferes with the dental operation, and it necessitates frequent stopping'in order to get rid of the excess water. It is impossible to use a saliva ejector tube in order to remove moisture from a rubber darn since the tube would be too close to the tooth.

The present invention overcomes these difficulties by providing a reflecting and aspirating instrument which may be placed in any desired positions relative to the tooth. This instrument not only does not interfere with the operation, but it assists since it includes a reflecting surface which is used by the dentist to see the back and inside of the tooth. The instrument may be in place while the drilling is going on, and while Water is being sprayed over the tooth. The instrument is connected to a suitable source of suction, and it is designed to remove any moisture that may accumulate on the dam near the tooth. Furthermore, the suction may be made suflicient to draw in the spray before it accumulates in a pocket on the dam. This also tends to take away the particles of the tooth removed by the drill during the operation so that there is no accumulation of these particles during the drilling operation. This practically eliminates the possibility of the particles getting into the patients mouth or on to his or her clothing. Furthermore, this instrument is quite useful even when a rubber dam is not used. It will prevent the accumulation of Water or saliva near the point of operation, and it will continuously remove particles created during the operation.

A dental reflecting and aspirating instrument according to this invention comprises a thin casing having a polished metal.

Patented Nov. 25, 1958 tending away from the peripheral wall thereof, and means at the casing for connecting a source of suction to the casing in order to draw moisture through the inlet into the chamber while the reflector is being used in a patients mouth for observation purposes.

An example of this invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the reflecting and aspirating instrument which is shown partly behind teeth projecting through a rubber dam,

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the instrument,

Figure 3 is a front view of the instrument with part thereof broken away, and

Figure-4 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Referring to the drawings, It) is a reflecting and aspirat-' 'ing instrument including a thin casing 11 having a peripheral wall 12, a back 13, and a front wall 14 opposed to and spaced from said back. The back, front and peripheral walls form a suction chamber 17 within the casing. Although the casing may have any desired shape, it is preferable to rn ake the walls 13 and 14 round, and the Wall 12 comparatively narrow so that the casing is substantially flat, thin and circular. The front wall 14 has an outer surface 19 in the form of a reflector which may be made of any suitable material, such as glass or Although the front wall and the reflecting surface are shown in the drawings as being integral and formed of glass, it is to be understood that they may be two different pieces of material secured together back to back in any desired manner When the wall and reflecting surface are formed of glass, it is desirable to provide a backing surface 21 on the inner surface of the front wall to improve the reflecting qualities of the instrument.

' A handle 24 is connected to casing 1-1 in any convenient beyond the periphera'wall This positions the casing at an angle to the handle, as clearly shown in Figure 2.

Aninlet isprovided for suction chamber 17 near an edge thereof. Although this inlet could be in either of the back or front walls, it is preferable to locate it in peripheral wall 12. In this example, the inlet consists of an elongated slot 28 in the peripheral wall spaced from the inner end of handle 24. If desired, a plurality of small openings may be substituted for the slot.

Means is provided at the casing for connecting a source of suction, not shown, to said casing in order to draw moisture through the inlet slot 28 into the suction chamber. Although a separate tube opening into the suction chamber may be provided for this purpose, it is preferable to provide the handle with a bore 30. This bore extends from the outer end 31 of the handle right through the latter and opens into the suction chamber at 33, see Figure 4. The outer end of the handle is connected to'the source of suction by a flexible tube 35.

Figure 1 shows instrument 10 in use. Part of a standard rubber dam 38 is shown with three teeth 39 projecting therethrough. The instrument is shown with chamber 17 within the casing is lowered, and, this, causes. moisture to be drawn into said chamber through inlet slot 28. This moisture may be in the form of a spray in the air, and/or it may be water accumulated on the darn behind the teeth. Thus, the suction continues without interfer ng in any way with the dental operation. As water. is sprayed on the tooth being drilled during high speed drilling, the water is constantly removed by the instru: ment. The instrument not only does not obstruct or hinder the operation, but it is helpful, thereby reducing the time and inconvenience normally associated with an operation of this type. Furthermore, the suction is constantly removing particles as they tend to accumulate on the dam so that there is very little chance of any such particles getting into the patients mouth. Furthermore, it prevents particles from being spilled on the patients clothing when the dam is removed as frequently happens when dams are used.

As previously stated, this instrument may be used even when a dam is not required. The instrument constantly removes water and saliva from around the teeth upon which the dentist is working. It also removes particles, thus reducing the chance of particles slipping back, into the patients throat.

What I claim as my invention is:

l. A dental reflecting and aspirating instrument comprising -a thin casing having a peripheral wall and a back, a front wall opposed to and spaced from the back and having an outer surface in the form of a reflector, said back, front and peripheral walls forming a large unobstructed suction chamber behind the reflector, a large inlet for the chamber near an edge thereof, a handle connected to the casing and extending away from the peripheral wall thereof, and unobstructed means at the casing for connecting a source of suction to the casing in order to draw moisture through the inlet into the chamber while the reflector is being used in a patients mouth'for observation purposes.

2. A dental reflecting and aspirating instrument comprising a thin casing having a peripheral wall and a back, a front wall opposed to and spaced from the back and having an outer surface in the form of a reflector, said back, front and peripheral walls forming a large unobstructed suction chamber behind the reflector, an elongated inlet in the peripheral wall for the chamber, a handle connected to the casing and extending away from the peripheral wall thereof, and unobstructed means at the casing for connecting a source of suction to the casing in order to draw moisture through the inlet into the chamber while the reflector is being used in a patients mouth for observation purposes.

3. A dental reflecting and aspirating ins ent compr sing 1e. thin. casing having a peripheral wall and a back, a front wall opposed to and spaced from the back and having an outer surface in the form of a reflector, said back, front and peripheral walls forming a large unobstructed suction chamber behind the reflector, an elongated inlet in the peripheral wall for the chamber, and a handle connected to the casing, said handle having a hollow bore opening without obstruction into the suction chamber, whereby said bore when the handle is connected to a source of suction brings said source into communicationwith the suction chamber inorder to draw moisture. thereinto through the inlet while the reflector is being used in a patients mouth for observation purposes.

4. A dental reflecting and aspirating instrument comprising a thin casing having a peripheral wall and a back, a front wall opposed to and spaced from the back and having an outer surface in the form of a reflector, said back, .front and peripheral walls forming a large unobsstructed suction chamber behind the reflector, a handle connected. to the casing back wall and extending away from. theperipheral wall thereof at an angle to the latter,

.aslot in the peripheral wall for the chamber, said handle having a hollow bore communicating with the suction chamber through av large unobstructed opening in the b ck wall thereof, whereby said bore when the handle isconnected to a source of suction brings said source into communication with the, suction chamber in order .to draw moisture thereinto through the inlet while the reflector is being used in a patients mouth for observation PU -P 5- 5. A dental reflecting and aspirating instrument com.-. prisinga thincasing having a peripheral wall and a hack,

" a front wall opposed to and spaced from the back and.

having an outer surface in the form of a reflector, said back, from and peripheral walls forming a large unobstrncted suction chamber behind the reflector, a handle connected to the casing back wall near and extending away from the peripheral wall thereof at anfiangle to the lattena slot in the peripheral wall for the chamber spaced from the handle, said handle having a hollow bore communicating with the suction chamber through a large unobstructed opening in the back wall thereof, whereby "said bore when the handle is connected to a source of suction brings said source into communication with the suction chamber in order to draw moisture thereinto through the inlet while the reflector is being used in a patients mouth for observation purposes. 

